Afimag.com –
Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has said some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors almost thwarted the desire for a southern Nigerian to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
Governor Wike, explained that he contested the PDP presidential primary last year because of his firm belief that the south should produce President Buhari’s successor.
He made the assertion during the Rivers State student community town hall meeting/interactive session at the Obi Wali International Conference centre, Port Harcourt.
Governor Wike, while addressing the students said he has no problem with any of them who voted for any of the two major presidential candidates from the south in the just concluded election.
According to him, what matter most is that presidential power will be shifting from the north to the south of Nigeria at the end of President Buhari’s tenure.
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He explained that why the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors adhered to the resolutions reached by southern Nigeria governors in Asaba, Lagos and Enugu respectively, their PDP counterparts acted otherwise.
Recall that Delta State Statesman and former minister of education, Elder Edwin Clark, had recently, lashed at Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa for betraying his southern counterparts by accepting PDP vice presidential slot.
Edwin Clark who asked Okowa to step down as Atiku’s running mate and apologize to his colleagues, said the Delta State Governor betray the decision of the Southern PDP governor to produce the President at the 2023 elections.
Wike said: “We agreed in Southern Nigeria, all of us as governors, we agreed, we said it doesn’t matter the party you belong to, whether you are in no party, whether you are in a party, whether you are in any organisation, power must come to the south. But we in PDP betrayed ourselves.”
The governor advised the students not to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr Tonye Cole, whose company, Sahara Energy was used by the immediate past administration of governor Chibuike Amaechi, to embezzle $50M from the Rivers State government account in Access Bank.
To recover the embezzled funds, the governor said the Rivers State government has commenced the prosecution of both Amaechi and Cole in court.
He advised Rivers people to resist any attempt by Amaechi, who squandered over N50B on less than one kilometre abandoned monorail project, to hoodwink them to vote for Cole.
Governor Wike, who promised to pay Rivers students bursary allowance, however, insisted that any list of students generated by their leadership must bear the seal of the Vice-Chancellor of their respective institutions.
The governor disclosed that the bursary will be paid directly into the account of each student in order to ensure no one is short-changed.
He also used the occasion to appoint Mr Soye Maxwell as the Special Assistant on Student Affairs to the Rivers State governor.
Earlier in his address, Soye Maxwell, who is PDP deputy director, sub directorate on student mobilisation, commended the governor for his administration’s huge investment in the educational sector.
Maxwell assured the governor that Rivers State students will on Saturday vote massively for Sir Siminialayi Fubara for consolidation of the New Rivers vision.
“Sir, this ebullient community of students who are predominantly youths, make bold and dare to say that we are confident, Sir Siminialayi Fubara is a square peg in a square hole. And for that reason, we declare total and full support for him come Saturday, 18 March, 2023.
“Your Excellency, your leadership qualities are best defined as that of an Eagle. Eagles are bold fearless, visionary, and tenacious. Eagles have vision. No matter the obstacles, the eagle will not move his focus from the prey until it captures it. Their eyes are specially made for long distance focus and clarity.
“For 7 whole years you have kept the NEW RIVERS VISION up and running, which has transformed the infrastructural landscape of our dear State, from the coastal towns of Tombia, Bonny, Opobo even down to the highlands of Ahoada, Etche, Omoku, Ikwerre, Port Harcourt and indeed the 23 LGAs of the State.”
